Theoderic the Great: King of Goths, Ruler of Romans

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars | 29 ratings

Price: 22.57

Last update: 10-21-2024


About this item

In the year 493, the leader of a vast confederation of Gothic warriors, their wives, and children personally cut down Odoacer, the man famous for deposing the last Roman emperor in 476. That leader became Theoderic the Great (454-526). This engaging history of his life and reign immerses listeners in the world of the warrior-king who ushered in decades of peace and stability in Italy as king of Goths and Romans. Theoderic transformed his roving "warrior nation" from the periphery of the Roman world into a standing army that protected his taxpaying Roman subjects with the support of the Roman elite. With a ruling strategy of "integration through separation," Theoderic not only stabilized Italy but also extended his kingdom to the western Balkans, southern France, and the Iberian Peninsula.

Using sources as diverse as letters, poetry, coins, and mosaics, Hans-Ulrich Wiemer brings listener into the world of Theoderic's court, from Gothic warriors and their families to the notables, artisans, and shopkeepers of Rome and Ravenna to the peasants and enslaved people who tilled the soil on grand rural estates. This book offers a fascinating history of the leader who brought peace to Italy after the disintegration of the Roman Empire.


Top reviews from the United States

Jack C
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2024
The author is a historian, so expect detail. For example, amount of tax farmers paid in central Italy in the year 502 AD. Loved the book and proves Roman Empire did not collapse but shrunk and then actually grew again under Theodoric.
Aramis Thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating exploration of lhe early middle sges
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023
How did western civilization evolve after the devolution of the Roman Empire? This book humanizes the beginning of that transition that is too often dismissed as “the dark ages”.
It filled in many of the blank spots ignored by other book. An absorbing and well written book also.
A Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars The king of Italy you've probably never heard of
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2024
It was only a few years ago that I first learned of Theoderic in a book about Ravenna, his capital city. I grew interested in learning more about him, especially after a visit in 2022 when we saw his mausoleum and the palace church of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo. This book accomplished that.

The books begins with a description of the Gothic tribes (Ostro - east; Visi - west), originally from northern Europe, and of Theoderic's own ancestors. He was sent as a hostage by his father to Constantinople to the Byzantine emperor's court at age 7 for about 10 years.

The Ostrogothic King Theoderic was fortunate to have an educated Roman writer, Cassiodorus, on his staff who provided much of the source material for this fine history. The personality of the king, however, is not much shown in that material so he remains an enigma. Still, he seems to have been a reasonable lawgiver, focused on maintaining the ancient Roman legal precepts and keeping the peace in the territory he ruled, which grew from Italy into southern France and then into eastern Spain. He seems to have had the respect of the people he governed, even if they disagreed with his Arian religion. Theoderic's biggest flaw was in old age when he condemned the Roman senator and philosopher, Boethius to death for a treason accusation that was probably a fabrication.

Theoderic was more successful as a ruler than the other Visigothic and Ostrogothic leaders. They were often little better than nomadic war bands intent on pillaging the towns they attacked. Theoderic had an appreciation for Roman law and governmental organization that the rest of them did not share. I suspect he learned that appreciation from the formative years he spent in Constantinople under the control and influence of Emperor Leo I (I wish that had been explored more in this book).

This history is not an easy beach read - it is dense with information meant to satisfy those of us fascinated by times long past. Highly recommended!
Alkinoos
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read! Very informative and also entertaining.
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023
The book guides one to discover and understand a fascinating distant world. The book has a clear structure; you can read it straight from beginning to end, or start with individual chapters.
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Alkinoos
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read! Very informative and also entertaining.
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2023
The book guides one to discover and understand a fascinating distant world. The book has a clear structure; you can read it straight from beginning to end, or start with individual chapters.
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